Mert Günal

Bike

Climbing to the charming village of Nikia in Nisiros Island

Eat

Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with goat cheese

Drink

Fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice

Sleep

Beneath the Milky Way to the lullaby of crickets

Mert was born in Turkey in 1982. His career began in finance at an agricultural investment bank, but every weekend he gravitated to the outdoors. Eventually his love of hiking or biking the mountains of Turkey turned into guiding tours around his home country full-time in 2011. An enthusiast of all kinds of musical instruments, his favorite is his Turkish ney flute. You may hear him playing on tour, providing a soundtrack for the morning mist as it lifts from the sea on bike and boat tours.